An inscription at Allur Nakkarkoil reveals the flood in river Cauvery some thousand years back.
Allur, a small village on the southern banks of the river Cauvery is twelve kilometres from the city Thiruchirappalli, lying en route of Thiruchirappalli-Karur highways. The village is credited with two Chola temples named Allur Nakkarkoil and Thiruvadakudi Mahadevar Koil, the former inside the village and the latter at the entry point of the village. At present, the temples are known in the name Pasupathiswara and Panchanadeswara respectively. Though Allur at present a single village, during Chola period it was two villages namely, Allur and Thiruvadakudi and also at different administrative setup, i.e. Ur and Sabha.
The above-said inscription (SII VIII. 689) is found on the southern wall of the Allur Nakkarkoil dated 37th regnal year of the king and possesses the epithet ‘Maduraiyum, Ezhamum konda koparakesari’, probably Parantaka Chola I. The inscription registers the purchase and endowment of 10 ma of land as devadana for food offering to Allur Nakkarkoil Parameswarar, the deity of the temple. While detailing the transactions the inscription also gleans other information.
A land named ‘Vettipperu’ that lies on the northeastern side of the village become fallow due to silt formation. The silt formation in the land happened because of the flood in the river Cauvery and the land remained uncultivable for nearly 6-7 years and in addition, the inscription also details that no one was willing to undertake the land. In that circumstances one Siriyan Pullan of Allur accepted to purchase the land; he not only accepted to purchase but also to endow the purchased land to Allur Nakkarkoil Parameswara as devadana. The said transaction was carried by the Thalaivachan Pathinoruvarom, probably the village administrative body.
The phrase as in the inscription…
…….காவிரி பெருகிக் குலை உடைத்து மணல்லிட்டு புன்செய்யாக கிடக்க ஆரெழாட்டைக் கால்பயிர் எறாதெ பாழ்கிடக்க இந்நிலத்தை விலைக்குக் கொள்விரில்லையொ வென்று முற்கூற……….
The purchased and endowed land of Siriyan Pullan constituted totally 10 ma which is of two pieces of land; the one measuring 7 ma and the other measuring 3 ma.
The boundaries of the 7ma are given in detail. Eastern boundary is to the west of Santhiramangalam’s Pathana vayakkal, Southern boundary is to the north of the channel that flow towards the east, Western boundary is to the east of Kaniyar’s sei, Northern boundary is to the south of ………….’s land.
The boundaries for the 3 ma of land are much damaged, particularly the southern and eastern boundaries. ‘Ganavathi vayakkal …… …….eastern boundary to the west of ………….mangala and to the north of Nagarattar’s garden wall, western boundary to the east of the old devadana of the deity, northern boundary is to the south of the 6ma and the 1 ma.’
The land endowment was made to offer ‘ponagam’ the sweet pudding, as a daily offering to the God and the responsibility was also undertaken by the Thalaivachandrom. It is accepted that all types of taxes were safeguarded to carryout the endowment.
If we calculate the fallowness of the land with the regnal year of the king, it is understood that the flood might have happened around the 29th or 30th regnal year of the king Parantaka Chola I (C.E. 907 to 955)*, might be around 936 or 937 C.E. The inundation might have happened to the entire delta region, further study of the inscriptions of Parantaka Chola I in other places will bring more light on the matter. Apart from Siriyan Pullan inscription few other inscriptions also speak about the reclamation of fallow land in this village.
- Date as given by K. A. Nilakanta Sastri in ‘The Cholas’